The Shamba Chef Educational Entertainment Program to Promote Modern Cookstoves in Kenya: Outcomes and Dose-Response Analysis

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 162
• Main Authors: Evans, W Douglas, Young, Bonnie N, Johnson, Michael A, Jagoe, Kirstie A, Charron, Dana, Rossanese, Madeleine, Morgan, K Lloyd, Gichinga, Patricia, Ipe, Julie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.12.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollution, Indoor - prevention & control; Attitude; Biomass; Biomass energy; Charcoal; Communication; Consumer Behavior; Cooking; Cooking - methods; Cost control; Exposure; Female; Fires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Household Articles; Household Products; Households; Humans; Intervention; Kenya; Kerosene; Liquefied petroleum gas; LPG; Nutrition; Nutritional Sciences; Ovens & stoves; Pollutants; Social marketing; Solid fuels; Stoves; Sustainable development; Technology; Television; Kenya; environment; cookstoves; behavior change communication; public health; social marketing; demand creation
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010162

Globally, an estimated 3.6 billion people rely on solid fuels for cooking over open fires or in simple cookstoves. Universal access to clean cooking fuels and technology by 2030 is a United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal. The Mediae Company created a home makeover television and radio show, , designed to promote modern, cleaner, safer cooking methods and improved nutrition in Kenya, which reached 5 million homes in late 2017. This was accompanied by a mobile phone platform called iChef. Researchers evaluated the effects of on cookstove purchase, use, and attitudes, beliefs, and intentions. The study revealed dose-response effects of exposure on several key outcomes. Exposure to the program was associated with an awareness of improved biomass stoves (OR 4.4; 95% CI 2.8 to 6.9), and aspirations to own an improved biomass stove (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.9). Receiving information about modern stoves from two or more sources generated greater awareness of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.1). The qualitative study revealed that explained how the stoves worked, communicated their benefits, and encouraged participants to trust and purchase those cookstoves. was successful in influencing determinants of cookstove purchase and use, and there is evidence from the qualitative study that it influenced the purchase and use of improved biomass stoves.